title: Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and organochlorine compounds in sea turtles from Japan.
abstract: Three species of sea turtles (green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles) stranded along the coasts or caught (by-catch) around Ishigaki Island and Kochi, Japan were collected between 1998 and 2006 and analyzed for six organohalogen compounds viz., PBDEs, PCBs, DDTs, CHLs, HCHs and HCB. The present study is the first and foremost to report the occurrence of organohalogen compounds in the sea turtles from Japan. Among the compounds analyzed, concentrations of PCBs, DDTs and CHLs were the highest in all the turtle samples. PBDEs were ubiquitously present in all the turtle species. Comparing with the other two species, concentrations of organohalogens in green turtle were relatively low and decreasing trend in the concentrations were noted with increasing carapace length. Concentrations of OCs in sea turtles from the coasts of Ishigaki Island and Kochi were relatively low as compared to those from other locations in the world.
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Govindan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malarvannan
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunisue
authors.forename: Agus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sudaryanto
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyagi
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasumura
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003634:DDT / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000378:metabolism; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014426:Turtles / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D003634:DDT